The closest yet… A Quail in the valley just south of Bo-Peep (Alciston) today, heard by Matt Eade, who also recorded Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler there.
Meanwhile, Paul Stevens had Wood, Common and Green Sandpiper at Arlington Reservoir yesterday, and good numbers of warblers today.
Can’t compete with any of that myself – just a couple of Buzzards over the house today, and a couple of Comma butterflies in the garden.
Fed up of waiting for a local Nightingale to turn up, I headed over to Arlington to get my fix on Sunday night.
Unfortunately, the weather was deteriorating in preparation for the Bank Holiday. An hour or so listening close to last year’s site produced only a very distant bird, calling from near the hide at Arlington reservoir.
A stop at Berwick train station was better, with one or perhaps two birds calling from the usual spot, just northwest of the platform.
On the way back, a couple of speculative stops along the A27 failed to reveal any more Nightingales, but a couple of Lapwings calling was a good surprise.
Had a nice surprise yesterday while driving between Glyndebourne and Ringmer – a Grey Partridge flying out in front of the car.
This is the first I’ve seen in the local area. There are fairly recent reports for the Downs just north of Seaford, and for Lewes Brooks, but I was beginning to wonder if we had any left closer to home.
To be honest, I don’t spend much time tramping around the higher parts of the downland itself, and I’ve probably overlooked a few – perhaps there are some more hanging around on Mount Caburn, behind Beddingham or up on Bo-Peep.
A little later that day, there was a good selection of warblers singing at the bridge in Glynde – my first Reed Warbler of the year, plus Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and what was probably a Garden Warbler.
Not too far away, some rare herons reported too – an elusive Purple Heron at Arlington Reservoir, and a Night Heron on Pevensey Levels.
Hmmm, the title sounds like an American Football team. Anyway, an interesting report of unusual gulls roosting at Arlington Reservoir this evening (per Birdguides).
Apparently there was a 1st winter Caspian Gull, a 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull and an adult Med Gull – all nice birds, with the first two especially good inland in Sussex. I very rarely hear anything about the gull roost at Arlington, although it comprises many hundreds (thousands?) of birds – many of which appear to commute directly over Firle in the mornings and evenings.
Worth a closer look, perhaps?
Firle Birds 